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VI Session 10, An Ally in the Infinite
The party ponder their options. With the storm brewing out to sea, the city is freezing and people are dying in the streets. Any future invasion by the Infinite Suns suddenly became less urgent. The party decide to attempt to strike a bargain with Ravana to defeat the Hand of Thrym. The sole survivor of the battle, the caster who's magic backfired, let's out a long laugh. Infinite Sorcerer "What do you think you have to offer the god-king Ravana? You are nothing. I could grant you an audience, but you are just as likely to be walking into your own deaths." The party see no other options and agree to an audience with Ravana. Infinite Sorcerer "I will bring him your message. End my life and I will open the way." The party think that this limbless tiger-man may be addled, but they slay him anyway. Roughtly twenty minutes later, a shimmering, firery portal springs into existence. Two tiger-men draped in elaborate golden and yellow robes step through and beckon the party through the portal. The party step through, into a bright, smoke filled room. Their senses are assaulted with a myriad of smells and thousand dazzling prismatic colours from hundreds of stained glass windows. As their vision cleared, they found themselves surrounded by golden armor and seated before Ravana, on a pile of colorful pillows, smoking something that smells vaguely cinnamon like. Smoke rises from bowls on pedistals standing all around the room, adding to the dizzying effect of the room. Ravana speaks, his backward hands gripping a long thin pipe as well as a tall glass of shimmering liquid. Ravana "Ravana knows why you have come here. You choose to serve him once again. He did not know the old one would take so permanently to his spellwork." Kimchiwei nods knowingly, seemingly unaffected by the dazzling lights and dizzying smoke. The two hash out a deal; service to Ravana, in exchange for aid defeating the Hand of Thrym. Ravana expresses some aprehension as his sons have been unable to find the command word for the bag, but Kimchiwei insists that urgent action is necessary if "Ravana's subjects" are to be protected from the Hand of Thrym. Ravana sees the logic in this and offers ten of his ready warriors to accompany them into the heart of the storm. Unfortunately his powers will not allow him to teleport the party into the undersea city, not without the final piece to his gada, the Sunstone. He goes on to explain that the Spire of Endless Day, the spire they are currently in, has 100 floors above the earth and 100 more below it. In the depths of the spire, dark-hearted men have built a fortress. Impenetrable by any other than their own kin. He points to Irome. Her kin. Without the Sunstone, I can only open portals to a place where the sun's power touches. The party feel they do not have time for this obvious side-quest and take a portal to the outskirts of the city of Mungu. They are followed by 10 of Ravana's golden warriors, recognizing some of them from their previous battle, including the sorcerer who lost his limbs. Ravana "Unfortunately we have not yet found the command word for the Bag. Without it, the artifact is more of a curse than an asset. Do not touch it without Ravana's assistance. A weak mind will result in more harm than good. Once Ravana has the bag in my posession, no mortal will be able to withstand the might of the Infinite Suns!" Hauri and Kimchiwei exchange a knowing glance. They can't let Ravana know that they know the command word. Ravana offers one additional blessing. A ritual which can protect them from some of the Hand of Thryms power. He pulls a long wave bladed knife from his robes and becons the party forward. Kimchiwei volunteers and into his chest just below his neck, Ravana makes a small series of cuts. Ravana "So long as these cuts remain fresh, your heart should be your own. Demi-gods like this Hand of Thrym have powers over your emotions and the bag will attemt to sway you as well. Try to keep your mind clear while fighting." One by one, the party are given this blessing. Ravana then gives the knife to Jin. Ravana "This blade should have the power to cut even a true god's flesh. Good fortune to you my friends." They open the passage to the city of the holy dragon and brazenly step through it. The way is clear to the bridge and waterfall, only Jin notices that none of the bodies or blood are here anymore. They each make an appropriate sacrifice and make it to the sea-floor. Despite it being just after noon, it is very dark. The mystical bubble of air has been replaced by a dome of opaque sea ice. They enter the frozen castle and make it to the room with the twin dragon heads. Jin notices that the floor is perfectly smooth and dark, as if a still puddle of oil lay across it. Odd, but not dangerous, they enter and being to attach wire to the dragon's tongue to open the door. The floor suddenly shivers and Kimchiwei hears a voice in his mind. "That's a big plort." The ooze rears up and washes over the party, burning them severely as is squirts oils, acids and what appears to be beer and mayonaise in all directions. Hauri's armor is deeply etched and several of their weapons are destroyed before the ooze finally recedes. Plort "When I eat meat, I get too big. Sometimes big plorts break into little plorts. I forgot that I did that. You should be more careful" Hauri mind races as the seemingly endless possibilities this little ooze has for his cullinary future. But the more urgent battle lays ahead in the tomb of Yongmunguwan. The tomb is frozen. What was once a massive cavern, large enough for a dragon-god now can barely contain the skull. Walls of solid ice crack and grind as they move in closer. Around the skull of the remains of Khangweizhin's expedition. Undead bodies claw at the ice and pick through rubble in a sad reflection of their final living acts. The party make quick work of the skeletal beings, attempting to be as quiet as they can, however they are overheard. A humanoid in rich gold and violet robed crawls from the dragons skull, his own skull a frozen together mass of broken wreckage. He speaks with the same noble accent as Khangweizhin . Khang's Wight "Ahh my murderers have come at long last! The master's spell will soon be complete! Come and see my son! Your friends have arrived!" The body of Yan lurches out of the skull as well, drawing two long icy knives. Yan's Wight "I can't wait any longer. This is all their fault." They immediately attack the party, Khang with blasts of cold fire and necromatic energy, and Yan with an acrobatic savagery he never expressed in life. They manage to take down nearly all of the Infinite Suns warriors, but are eventually defeated by the party, hopefully putting an end to them once and for all. Jin takes this opportunity to sneak into the skull and finds Quarion with his arms sunk elbow deep into a wall of ice, the 6 Demon Bag slung over his shoulders. He chants in a frightening, though oddly beautiful language. Jin readies his musket and discharges it, point blank into Quarions icy flesh. There is a sudden tremour sent through the ice as the Hand of Thrym pull himself upright. Quarion Winterhand, the Hand of Thrym "You again? Come to show me the way out or does my magic call heroes to defeat me? Either way, you are too late. My spellcraft cannot be stopped!" His word proves true as ice continues to creep inward, filling the cavern. He lifts his staff and blade. Quarion Winterhand, the Hand of Thrym "Come then, mortals. Let me see the final agonized thrashes of a doomed world." The battle rages between the demi-god, the party, and their Infinite Sun allies. Blasts of fire illuminae the darkened cavern as shards of ice bite into mortal flesh. As the battle drags on, a darknes begins to grow in the hearts of the party. They fight off this wave of hate but eventually find themselves one by one, overcome with the powers of the Divine Spark. Jin manages to sink his blade into Quarion, which cuts into him as if his flesh were normal. Quarion rages, blasting Jin with his staff and nearly killing the goblin. Hauri and Finellen tackle the demi-god, wrestling him to the floor as they forcefully remove the bag. Touching the bare skin of the elf sorcerer sends frostbite deep into Hauri's flesh and he knows that he will not last long, this close to the demi-god. Kimchiwei retrieves the bag. The cut from Ravana burns on his chest as he resists the enchantments of the artifact. With the command word, the bag is opened and Quarion Winterhand is ripped from this reality and forced into the extradimensional space. Silence rings through the cavern and as the party look up, three survivors of the Infinite Suns stand among them. they stare at the party, shocked. Infinite Sun Warrior "You know the command word." EXP and Journal